Today's data storage and retrieval systems rely heavily on the recording of data on microfiche. Microfiche drastically reduces required storage space for the data, makes the data easily accessible, is relatively inexpensive, and lends itself to fast, convenient and inexpensive duplication of the microfiche and the data recorded thereon for distribution to often large numbers of users. U.S. Pat. No. Re 29,254 discloses a particularly advantageously constructed microfiche recorder.
The referenced patent primarily relates to the mechanical construction of the recorder and the manner in which the microfiche is rectilinearly advanced past a recording station so that multiple, relatively small images can be recorded on the fiche.
Normally, the bulk of the data recorded on the microfiche is flashed onto a cathode ray tube (hereinafter CRT) which in turn is driven by the output received from a computer or other suitable data storage and retrieval system. The CRT display is focused onto the microfiche and is there photographically recorded. Typically, each CRT display comprises one standard computer printout page. After the fiche has been recorded it can be placed into a microfiche reader where the recorded photographic images are displayed on a viewing screen.
Usually, the data recorded from a CRT screen comprises alpha-numeric characters only. To facilitate the reading of the recorded data, raster images were heretofore frequently superimposed. The raster images are obtained from so-called "form slides" which comprise an arrangement of horizontal and/or vertical raster lines that correspond with the data lines and columns on the CRT. Such a form slide is precision mounted on the recorder and, when desired, its image is projected onto the microfiche and is superimposed over the projected CRT image so that the finished microfiche image not only includes the data but also the raster lines to facilitate the subsequent reading of the data.
Microfiche recording and reading is, of course, not limited to the use of alpha-numeric characters. For example, other graphic information such as drawings, pictures and the like which accompany alpha-numeric information are ideally included on the microfiche recorder. Normally, however, this substantially complicates the CRT display and frequently it is not possible to satisfactorily generate drawings and the like on a CRT screen from computer output data. Additional problems are encountered when the graphic or alpha-numeric information require revisions, separation, updating, etc. For example, engineering drawings and parts lists frequently require changing and/or updating of the latter due to design changes, changes in parts designations for different sizes and/or model numbers, an alpha numeric printout in different languages to accompany a given drawing and the like. To store all this information in computers for display on a CRT screen requires very large storage capacities. Moreover, the output of the graphic data is of a relatively low quality.
As a consequence, graphic illustrations accompanying alpha-numeric information was heretofore not normally recorded on the same microfiche. Instead, it was separately supplied on form drawings (which themselves could be on microfiche) which had to be stored at each potential point of use. They occupy additional scarce and expensive storage space and significantly complicated the data retrieval.
From the foregoing it will be apparent that large users of alpha-numeric information accompanying graphic illustrations, e.g. drawings, could use microfiche as a low cost, fast and reliant data storage and retrieval system to only a limited extent. Government, the military and large parts inventory and supply organizations are most severely affected and handicapped by this problem.